Established to safely guide mariners past the treacherous shoals and strong cross current at the northern tip of Cape Cod, the original Race Point Light Station was first illuminated on November 5, 1816. The light atop the rubblestone tower shone 25 feet above sea level and it was one of the earliest revolving optics, which helped distinguish it from other lighthouses on Cape Cod. In 1876, the original tower was replaced by the present 45-foot tall, conical, iron-plated tower topped with a fourth-order Fresnel lens. One of the two original keeper's dwellings was torn down around this time, and a new two-story, Victorian keeper's dwelling was constructed in its place. A brick sound signal building and an oil house were also built in 1876. The U.S. Coast Guard electrified Race Point Light in 1957 and tore down the older dwelling in 1960. Automated in 1972, the last resident keepers were removed from Race Point Light in 1987. The light tower remained an active aid to navigation, but the keeper's house was closed for years after the Coast Guard left.

Historic photo of Race Point Light StationPhoto courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard

In 1995, the Coast Guard leased the surrounding property, including the keeper's dwelling and oil house, to the Cape Cod Chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation. The organization immediately began restoring the buildings and maintains them today. A modern optic replaced the original Fresnel lens when the station was solarized in 1998. The U.S. Coast Guard continues to maintain the tower and operate the light as an active aid to navigation within Cape Cod National Seashore.

Race Point Light Station is located within the National Park Service's Cape Cod National Seashore at the northern tip of Cape Cod in Provincetown. The U.S. Coast Guard maintains the optic, which operates as an active aid to navigation, while the grounds and the remaining buildings are maintained by the Cape Cod Chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation. Visitors are permitted to tour the lighthouse on designated Saturdays, May-September from 10:00am to 2:00pm. The keeper's dwelling is also available for overnight stays. For further information visit the Cape Cod Chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation's website or call 508-487-9930. The Center for Coastal Studies, a marine mammal research and educational group, has leased the renovated fog signal building as a field station and laboratory since 1999.